Which K-POP idols have tattoos?

The Korean wave, or the Hallyu wave, is taking over the world now. The most visible factor is the K-pop phenomenon. Their social presence has a significant impact, highlighting distinct horizons of captivating music, outstanding visuals, one-of-a-kind choreographies, and a wealth of content about K-pop groups and idols. The stereotypes of girls wearing skirts, boys wearing no makeup, boys only being athletic, and many more are all broken by K-pop idols. Kpop has challenged these norms through its music, lyrics, and, most notably, fashion. You can often see idols with eccentric outfits, make-up, dyed hair, piercings, and accessories. They are carried well by both male and female K-pop idols, adding to their visuals and styles. While they are always experimenting with their looks and styles, tattoos have a different outlook when it comes to K-pop idols.

You will often see Korean celebrities with tattoos in their social media posts, dance practice videos, or concerts. But it is observed that Korean celebrities with tattoos often cover their tattoos in public and on television variety shows.

Let's find an answer to some common questions about K-pop idols with tattoos.

Which K-POP idols have tattoos?

Third and fourth generation K-pop artists are more comfortable expressing themselves through their tattoos. Also, many 2nd generation artists have inked skin . And what is the meaning behind their tattoos. What types or common trend K-pop idols follows when it comes to tattoos.

Let's see who has tattoos and what their motivation is.

Matching and friendship tattoos

K-pop groups or bands are also known for the friendship and bond they share between them. It is portrayed through their music, concerts, variety shows, and many more. Fans are always wowed by their cute and sincere friends, which is also an important factor in growing a successful K-pop group together.

Many K-pop artists from the same and also from different groups have matching friendship tattoos dedicated to their friendship.

1. Got 7 Almost all the members of one of the most famous K-pop groups, Got7, have inked tattoos on their bodies. All their tattoos hold a very special meaning behind them. The members have significantly expressed their love, passion, and thoughts through some beautiful art work on their bodies. Let's look into their matching friendship tattoos. It is no secret that GOT7's Mark has several creative tattoos on his body, and each is unique in its own way. He shares a matching tattoo with his member Yugeom, encraving the word "Truth" on his inner arm. His birth year is 97 in roman digits, which corresponds to BTS Jungkook and Bambam. 
2. Bigbang-Indeed, the most famous 2nd generation K-pop band, aka the kings of K-pop, are known for their cool and badass hip-hop music and strong aura. How can we not talk about the King of K-pop and musical genius, G-dragon? G-Dragon has several miniature and large tattoos all over his body. He has 20 tattoos all over his body, and they’re all very subtle, but still cause a stir whenever seen. Some of them are not so subtle, but still, they fit really well with GD’s overall image; he is very shy off camera, but on camera, GD is the badass we’ve all met and fallen in love with. Taeyang follows GD with two large tattoos that show off his faith and religious beliefs. Taeyang is very devoted to his religion and isn’t afraid to show what he believes in. Taeyang and GD have matching two matching tattoos, one in big text on the side of their torsos, "Forever Young" tattoo on the same spot with the same font, and the other one is a matching cross tattoo. They are more like couple tattoos, common in Korean culture, signifying friendship and love. 
3. Ateez is another K-pop group whose members have many tattoos. Wooyoung has one of his tattoos on his thigh with the phrase "Amicus ad aras", a Latin phrase that means "friends until death" that he shares with fellow ATEEZ member and bestie San.  It’s a phrase that the two ATEEZ members use for their friendship, showing just how precious their relationship is. 

Important dates for tattoos

It's quite a trend among K-pop idols to tattoo their birthdays, debut dates, and birthdays of their loved ones. According to Korean culture, their birthyears are usually in numbers or represent the animal of the year.

• Got7 Jackson: Got7's Jackson has a plethora of tattoos. One notable ink is the logo of the Summer Youth Olympics. Along with this, he has his and his parents' birth dates on his body. 
• MAMAMOO’s Moonbyul, the lead rapper, has a few tattoos, and each of them has personal significance for her. Particularly remarkable and indicative of the significance of her family in her life is the outline of her family members that was inked on her arm. The most relevant tattoo, though, is perhaps the timeline of important events in her life that is inked above her ankle. The dates of her birth, the group's debut, and the day she began working toward her goals are all included. 

Fandom and Group Tattoos

• Yugeom, the mankae of Got7, has various meanings and full tattoos all over his body. ’ He also has tattoos of dandelions. Yugyeom explains that it represents self-love and strength. He adds that he also has two tattoos, giving a look at the dandelion tattoo on his arm. He has a green bird tattoo representing Got7 fandom, showing his love for fans.
• Exo’s Chanyeol-No Doubt Exo loves their fans. On his wrist, he has a tattoo that reads "L-1485," which stands for August 5, 2014, the day the EXO-L fanbase was founded. At a concert, Chanyeol made the tattoo's full unveiling and assured the crowd that "all of you will always be a part of my body till the day I die." You can't really dispute how much he cares about his fans!
• BTS Jungkook-The Golden Mankae can be considered the epitome of this art, having a series of tattoos all over his arms and hands. He has the sweetest gestures for his members and fans. small There are drawings and letters on his hand that consist of the names of his family and army.

Can K-pop idols show tattoos?

 The reason why these celebs have to cover their tattoos with make-up or skin color is because, in Korean culture, people who have tattoos are said to be associated with criminals, gangsters, or some kind of bullying thug. In short, they are not a person to go along with, aka antisocial.

Also, some Korean entertainment companies do not allow their artists to have tattoos to maintain their pure idol-like image. Even artists have to inform their companies before getting any tattoos on them.

But this conservative cult has changed quite a bit now. We can prominently see our favorite Korean idols with their gorgeous tattoos. These K-pop idols are promoting this form of art by encraving beautiful tattoos on their skin. Not just promoting and appreciating this art form, these tattoos also show their thoughts, passion, and love. Many idols have meaning-full inked skin, which holds an essence of their personality.

Although the Korean population is gradually accepting tattoos as a form of self-expression, it is still frowned upon to show inked skin on television screens or in public. Idols frequently have to cover their tattooed skin with long-sleeve hoodies or t-shirts, skin-colored tape, or make-up, especially if the tattoos are on their arms or neck. But fans can admire their idols' tattoos during music shows and photoshoots. 

Do any female K-pop idols have tattoos?

Female K-pop artists always have to maintain high Korean beauty standards such as pale skin, glossy lips, and a perfect body, and when it comes to tattoos, they are more strict when it comes to them. Not only is inked skin considered taboo, but Korean groups frequently change their style and theme of dressing in accordance with their music concepts. Although these are old norms now for our female idols, many female K-pop idols have beautiful and elegant tattoos on them. Let's find some.

1. Hyuna - this K-pop solo queen isn't afraid to show off her sexy and daring appearance with great music and dance moves.She has more than 25 tattoos on her. Nonetheless, they have many deeper meanings. Hyuna has tattoos of her parents, project titles, self-affirmations, and more, in a variety of styles ranging from tiny text to line work to illustrations. She also has a couple tattoos with her boyfriend, E-Dawn. 
2. ((G)I-DLE)-Members, breaking all the stereotypes, several members of this girl group had tattoos even before their debut. Leaders Soyeon, Yuqi, and Soojin have cute and meaningful symbols inked on their skin. 
3. Jessi-K-pop badass girl can’t be missed. Jessi has approximately eight beautiful tattoos in various locations, including large pieces on her back! However, a fan-favorite tattoo is the swallow on her arm. The arm, which represents her fandom known as JEBI, the Korean word for swallow, Former Block B member and rapper Zico and Korean hip hop artist Jay Park also have several tattoos on their arms and neck, symbolizing their love for music and emotional events in their lives. 

Let us know in the comments who other K-pop idols with tattoos have caught your attention.